Brno wants 600 million from the state for a new concert hall

Brno - Brno is requesting 600 million crowns from the state for a new concert hall costing a total of 1.2 billion crowns. The governor of the South Moravian Region, Michal Hašek, and the mayor of Brno, Roman Onderka (both ČSSD), sent a letter to the government today requesting support for the new construction of the Janáček Cultural Center. Jan Chmelíček, spokesman for the South Moravian Region, informed ČTK in a press release. Brno argues that it lacks a hall with the necessary parameters that correspond to the current needs of the metropolis.
    If the state contributes 600 million, the region will contribute 100 million crowns, Brno will contribute 200 million crowns, and the remaining 300 million is to be secured through the regional chamber of commerce from private sources.
    The South Moravian Regional Council approved a memorandum in which it committed to providing money in the coming years for the preparation and construction of the center, already last winter. Even then, proponents of the project indicated that they wanted to secure 600 million from the state budget.
    According to Chmelíček, the letter was sent to the Prime Minister Petr Nečas (ODS), Minister of Finance Miroslav Kalousek, and Minister of Culture Jiří Besser (both TOP 09).
    The new hall is proposed by architects to be built in a gap on Veselá Street in the center of Brno, in close proximity to the Besední dům, the current headquarters of the Brno Philharmonic, and two large hotels. The project, somewhat simplified to reduce costs, anticipates a main hall with a capacity of 1,200 to 1,600 seats and an underground parking lot for 372 cars.
    The center is also to include a rehearsal room for the Brno Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and a recording studio with modern technologies for both commercial and non-commercial use.
    Brno Philharmonic has been calling for the construction of a hall with quality acoustics and sufficient capacity for a long time.